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on
November 30, 2012

Bill Veeck was one-of-a-kind and always took time out to talk with the fans,he even listed his telephone number in the white pages. I was lucky to have spent time with him in his regular spot in the first row of the Center Field Bleachers during the Cubs quest for the 1984 Season and we were part of the Sports Illustrated article in October of that year.In 1985, Bill boycotted the Cubs except for 2 games because they started selling bleacher seats tickets in February,eliminateing on of the great traditions at Wrigley, buying a bleacher on the day of the game at the price printed on the ticket! My favorite Bill Veeck quote is no longer possible in the Friendly Confines cheap seats, because they are no longer cheap!Bill Said:”I have discovered in 20 years of moving around a ballpark, that the knowledge of the game is usually in inverse proportion to the price of the seats.”One of my 10 Cub-Fan-Mandments in ’85 “HONOR THE SPIRIT OF BILL VEECK,INDUCT HIM INTO BASEBALL’S HALL OF FAME”I took the last photo of Bill Veeck on the last game of the 1985 season. Speaking of photos, my good friend Lee Balterman who was a Time/Life Magazine photographer told me about the time he was sent to Bill’s Maryland farm for a Life article on Bill. It was a snowy winter’s day and Lee’s car slid off the road just outside Bill’s home. Bill came out to help. Lee asked him to get behind the wheel. Bill insisted on pushing the car himself… and he did with one leg and his crutch!